Disclaimer: I don`t own Harry Potter characters.
Betareader: Olosta
Chapter two - Blackout
The first thing she saw was a blurred image of white. She stared above herself to see only white and nothing else. After few moments the image became clearer and clearer and she has realized she was in some kind of a hospital.
She was tired and her head was literally killing her, so she just remained in the bed without trying to move at all. And there were those noises she heard in her sleep. She didn't even need to look around to know there were at least two people inside. Even if they have been in a hospital, they didn't try to act exactly quietly. She could hear them loud and clear.
"But do you know what you are saying?" asked one voice, not really in a composed way.
"Yes headmaster, but you have to consider some circumstances," answered the second man in a low yet very assured voice.
"What circumstances, professor Dumbledore? She has just popped out from who-knows-where and you should be the first one to remark, that you can't apparate into Hogwarts. The ministry itself needs to do some proceedings to enable it," said the man referred to as headmaster in a brisk voice.
The man, apparently some professor with the name Dumbledore sighted and she could swear he looked troubled. She kept listening to their voices to find out where she was. She could pick up that this is an ambulance of school called Hogwarts. But she needed more information, so she closed her eyes again trying to appear sleeping and invisible.
"But you can't forget that there are another spells around this castle."
"Can you be more concrete, because I don't follow?"
"Of course headmaster, I know about the apparation law, but this school also has other, more powerful magic. And if I remember correctly it will allow any student in deadly danger to apparate inside. It is a very old and strong magic created by the four founders to protect students and only few people know a about it. But you can't deny its existence. And I think that we are the very witnesses of the rare example of how it works. I didn't hear of any other case in decades."
After this statement the girl forgot about trying to appear invisible and sat up sharply. Did she really got here even thought there is barrier around here?
Both of the men were looking at her now.
"I think our guest is awake now," said one of the men calmly. He had a very long and almost white beard and blue eyes behind half-moon glasses. The other man looked a little bit older, but appeared to be very unsure and indecisively compared to the younger one. Both of them were wearing dark coloured habits with small ornaments.
She looked puzzled as they slowly approached her and sat down near her bed.
"I am professor Dumbledor and this is headmaster Dippet," the younger looking man introduced himself and his companion. "Welcome to Hogwarts. As we were informed one of the professors found you lying unconscious on the school corridor."
So she was right, this was some school. She looked around. A very old school, she added to herself.
"Can you please explain yourself, how did you manage to get into school without anyone noticing?" spat out the headmaster bossily.
"We don't have to be so harsh, do we?" The girl could swear she saw that professor Dumbledore blinked at her.
"You have to see that this indeed is a very specific situation. It is not very common to find someone strange in the school corridor late in the night. Can you please tell us what your name is and how did you get into the school, so we can help you?" It appeared that he was really trying to help her.
What is your name? Just a simply question anyone could easily answer, how could it be so hard to get the answer? And there was something strange about her. She could tell before, although she had a hard time to tell what it was exactly.
And after that one question she suddenly could name it.
"I don't know."
"How can it be that you don't know?"
"I can't remember anything. I am sorry. I don't know who I am, the place I came from or even how did I get here. I just don't know."
She looked like she was about to cry. She got almost hysterical and Dumbledore didn't know if she was this good an actress or she actually didn't remember. In his heart he trusted her and he was never wrong in his opinion of people. It was like he could see right through them. People couldn't lie to him. Yes, maybe they had tried from time to time, but in the end he had always learned the truth in one way or another.
From her look he could tell she was in deathly danger before she arrived to Hogwarts and it could be even worse if they sent her away. With her amnesia she was in a vulnerable position and anyone could take an advantage of it. St. Mungo was out of the question. There was war outside and what kind of person would he be, if he sent a defenseless girl to that hell? The best solution for her was to stay at Hogwarts. The only thing he needed was the headmaster's approval. It wouldn't be so easy as the headmaster Dippet was a little bit too paranoid in this case although sometimes he could be easily convinced about almost anything.
Well, better start than wait for nothing, but he need to talk to him in private.
He turned to face the other man looking very concernedly and understandingly. "I think it is time to go, headmaster or Miss Evory will be very angry with us. Our guest needs her rest and we can always talk to her tomorrow," he blinked at her again and stood up to leave the infirmary.
The girl was left alone again without much information but with lots of doubt and uneasiness. She didn't know what they will do with her. But one thing she knew, she was safe. But from what or who? She had no idea.
She was thinking, trying to figure things out. But the harder she was trying the worse she was feeling. Frustrated she stared at the cell and slowly sleep took over her completely.
And there again there was this darkness around her -emptiness; there were no memories, no one to be fond of, no one to look for, no past and no future. This was herself and the state of her mind. She got it now.
But still, this didn't give her an answer to anything.
Dumbledore has visited her the very next day. He was smiling; his blue eyes sparkled with joy at something only he knew about.
"May I?" He pointed at the chair near her bed asking for her permission to sit.
"Yes." she answered, wondering why he bothered to ask, because it was a matter of course. But she added it to his personality.
"Miss Evory told me you are feeling better."
"It sure is thanks to her care and potions. She has helped me a lot in the last two days," she was really feeling better. Miss Evory gave her some bad smelling and even worse tasting potion, but it had worked. Her head was not killing her and almost all of her wounds were now closed leaving red lines on her skin. The nurse had assured her that they will heal completely without scars.
"I am glad to hear that. You know, when professor Ranhord had found you, you were pretty beaten up," he leaned in his seat scrutinizing her. "When we had found you, you didn't have anything with you. Except one thing"
"Do you know that you are a witch?" He was waiting for her reaction.
"Yes, a witch, that's what I am."
"So, you can't remember who you are, but you know that you are a witch?" He asked and she felt a little hint of something what could be called a doubt.
"Isn't it obvious? I can't tell who I am, who I was or how did I get here, but as I can tell that I am a human, a woman, I can tell that I am a witch. That's an undetectable part of my being."
He nodded slowly like in acknowledgment and took out something from his pocket. "When you were found, you were holding this wand in your hand. Very tightly I have to add. It was almost impossible to take it from you," he smiled and for the first time she thought of how comfortable she have felt around him.
She took the wand from his fingers and made a small move as in a try to cast a spell. The corners of het mouth curled upwards as she smiled as she saw red and golden sparkles came out of it.
"Yes, definitely my wand," she said.
"Indeed," nodded Dumbledore. "I think we should discuss the other matters."
She remained silent in anticipation of what the "other matters" would be.
"You had nothing else to identify you, but according to your clothes, wand and age, we did come to a conclusion that you are a magic student from some other school or maybe you were home tutored. The school had let you in, so it had accepted you as a student. This as you could guess is a School of Witchcraft an Wizardity – Hogwarts."
She said nothing waiting for him to continue.
"I have talked to headmaster Dippet and we did come to an agreement that we will acknowledge the will of the school and you will be allowed to finish your education here."
"I take it as I have no other choice."
"No, you always have your choice, kind of. You can leave Hogwarts or stay. But outside, there is a war. In both wizard and muggle worlds. If you decide to leave we will help you to start a new life. But after that we can no longer guarantee your safety. But in a case you decide to finish your education, you will be safe. The school decided to help you, to accept you. Its magic is very old and powerful, sometimes I just wonder if it can think or act at its own. It heard out your plea and opened its arms for you. Don't you think that it would be best to stay here?"
He was not arguing and also it was no question. Just a statement and she had to agree that maybe he is right. But somewhere deep inside of her, her mind was screaming unspoken questions: You have to be safe, but before whom? What is the thing you are so afraid of?
She silenced those questions and nodded. "I will stay, but I want to ask you to help me. I want to know who I am."
"That wouldn't be a problem. I can write to other school and ask them if they don't miss a student and don't worry I have many ways how to get information."
She didn't know if she should be happy about that or take it as a threat.
"We need to solve only two last things."
"Two things?"
"Yes," he waved his wand and an old shabby hat appeared before him. "This is Hogwarts sorting hat. He will decide your house and year you will attend. Just put him on your head."
"How will he know?" she asked as she took the hat in her trembling hands.
"Don't worry about that. He will know. There are four faculties in this school, you will live in the dorms and attend your classes with other classmates from the same house. They will be your new family."
New family. And so she put the hat on her head. It was large and the edge of the hat fell over her eyes blocking her view. And again she was surrounded by the darkness.
"Hello miss," she heard a stranger's voice inside her head.
"Who are you?"
"Me? I am the founder's hat," answered the hat patiently like to a child. "I can see you are confused, yet determined. I can also see great strength and potential."
"Can you see through me?"
"Sure, I can see the inner self of every one person who puts me on his head," answered the hat.
"So, can you tell me who I am?"
"I am afraid not. You have to find out by yourself."
"But-" she wanted to complain, but was interrupted by the hat.
"Gryffindor – seventh year!" yelled the hat and in no time professor Dumbledore took off the hat from her head, before she could say a thing.
"Very well, the year started only a week ago and Miss Evory told me that you can leave infirmary in a week. That means you will not miss too many of classes." he looked very pleased with himself like everything went according to some plan. But she didn't want to be a part of someone else plan.
"One last thing is left. We need a name."
"A name?" asked the girl in surprise. She wasn't really listening to him, she was too lost in her own thoughts.
"Well, we can call you girl or miss for the rest of your life if you insist, but I presume you would prefer to have a proper name even if it is not given by birth."
She was thinking, she didn't like the idea to be called by a name someone strange gave her, but she had no idea about her name or family background so obviously she had no other choice as to accept a new one.
"I think you are right," the answer was said in a whisper. In the end she still wasn't convinced enough.
"Do you want to choose a new name by yourself?" he did ask, but she couldn't get rid of the feeling that he had already chosen one by himself.
"No, I will go with anything you will suggest."
"Ok, so what about Kora Cassia. It sounds good, doesn't it?" She was right, he had chosen one before he bothered to ask her.
"Kora Cassia – Hollow girl. How fitting."
"I see. You understand Latin and ancient Greek," somehow he didn't seem to be surprised. She was, on the contrary. Maybe there were more things that she knew and some of them may not be so pleasant as to understand Latin and Greek.
Yes, she was afraid, afraid of the world, afraid of the darkness her mind was floating in. A total blackout.
"Miss Kora Cassia, welcome to Hogwarts, your new home and family."
Preview:
"How are you?" asked Dumbledore and leaned back in his chair.
"Fine." Only this simple answer and nothing else. She didn't feel quite comfortable around here.
"Did you managed to make some friends?"
"Not really," she started at the floor. "It is hard when they are giving you those strange looks and whispers behind your back about your unexpected transfer." But she wasn't sure if it really did have something with the absence of the past or memories. Maybe it had something to do with the absence of social skills you need to make friends.
